International Hostels Serve Up Halloween Fun

Halloween brings out the freaks and geeks in all of us. This doesn’t change when we travel or study abroad. Staying in a hostel? Great! Hostels love celebrations, especially Halloween. Balmers Hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland decks its lobby with ghoulish treats and competitions, while hostels in France cover themselves in spider webs and flying witches. Don’t forget the drink specials. You can travel to the ends of the earth and still enjoy your favorite holiday treats.

Aboriginal Hostel– Budapest, Hungary

Terror Leaves its Mark on Budapest

A great find in downtown Budapest, Aboriginal Hostel offers free WIFI, laundry, breakfast, and entertainment. Go cave diving or get recommendations for other incredible adventures. Just for Halloween, try some homemade Turkish “Witches Brew,” tasty cookies, and plenty of drinks to keep the energy flowing. Spend a night out with your roommates on the city’s popular Andrassy Avenue. Don’t miss the House of Terror.  Located in the former headquarters of the Nazi and Communist secret police, the museum showcases the grim history of the two governments with photos and relics from former labor camp prisoners. Creepy.

Generator Hostel– London, England or Berlin, Germany

London’s largest hostel, Generator, celebrates Halloween like no other. Enjoy cheap beds, cheap drinks and plenty of fun. Spend fright night at the hostel bar. Dress in your favorite costume and receive free drinks at the bar-turned-haunted mansion. Listen to popular DJs and dance until the wee hours. It’s not for the faint of heart.

If you’re headed to Eastern Europe, hit up the Generator Hostel in Berlin. Share a stein or two as you celebrate Halloween. Don’t miss the Superhero party on October 30^th or the ghoulish midnight happy hour on Halloween night. The bar will rock both nights with famous karaoke and live DJs.

The Globetrotter Inn– Edinburgh, Scotland

Get Caught up in the Web of Excitement

From its haunted houses to countless dark alleys, Edinburgh has plenty of chilling experiences for Halloween. The Globetrotter Inn turns the spooky factor up a notch with a big Halloween bash at its 24-hour on-site bar.  For an extra scare, visit the Edinburgh Dungeon to unravel the city’s history of witch-hunters, grave robbers, prolific murderers and executioners.

Loki Hostel– Mancora, Peru

Hit the beach this Halloween! Loki del Mar in Màncora is the newest addition to the Loki Hostel chain. Having found success in Lima, Cusco and La Paz, this new beach setting invites visitors to surf, body board, or kayak. You might want to save your costume for the after-party!

Nathan’s Villa Hostel– Krakow, Poland

No curfew. No lockout. No checkout time. Big Halloween Party. Take advantage of the eerie sights around Nathan’s Villa Hostel. Check out the historical Dragon’s Den, Auschwitz Concentration Camp, or Remuh Cemetery in Kazimierz. Cap off the night by competing for “Best Halloween Costume” and enjoying free punch at the hostel bar. The party will bounce well into the night…and early morning.

Spook Yourself at These International Destinations

With Halloween right around the corner it’s fun to look at some of the world’s most “haunted” locations. Now don’t be surprised while studying or traveling abroad to discover the Day of the Dead is more celebrated than Halloween. In some locales it’s a national holiday. When I lived in Paris I spent the day after Halloween exploring the city’s celebrity, Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Here are some other disturbingly fun destinations.

Hike to Dracula's Castle

Walachia, Transylvania, Land of Dracula

Unlock the history of the real Dracula. “Vlad the Impaler” ruled medieval Romania from 1448 until his death in 1476. He had a habit of punishing his enemies in unique ways, like driving stakes through their still-breathing bodies. Scholars believe the legend of Dracula arose because “Dracula” literally means “son of Dracul” in Romanian. Since “Dracul” is “Dragon,” young Vlad was the “son of the dragon” or “son of the devil.” For an unforgettable view, hike through the beautiful Transylvanian Alps. If you’re lucky, you might catch medieval villages and the ruins of once-proud castles, including Dracula’s Bran Castle.

Tower of London

Apparitions, rattling chains, and howling winter winds… eeriness awaits you at this UNESCO World Heritage site. Constructed 900 years ago, the Tower of London has served as a tourist attraction, a prison, and a site of execution for some of England’s royalty. Don’t lose your head like Henry VIII’s infamous second wife, Anne Boleyn. Keep your eye out for a chained Sir Walter Raleigh, who apparently still roams the Tower grounds. Check out the Bloody Tower, where legend has it English child-king Edward V and his brother Richard Plantagenet, duke of York, were murdered in 1483; and Devereux Tower, where George Plantagenet, duke of Clarence, supposedly drowned in a barrel of wine in 1478.

Explore the Vaults at Your Own Risk

Underground Vaults, Edinburgh

Paris has its famous underground crypts, and far below the busy streets of Edinburgh, Scotland rest its forgotten city Vaults. Discovered in the mid-1980’s, the Edinburgh Vaults sat abandoned for nearly two hundred years beneath the South Bridge. These rooms were used as cellars, workshops, labs, and residences by the businesses that forged their trade on the busy South Bridge. The vaults were abandoned due to excessive water and poor air quality. The vaults remained unaltered, having never seen the light of day. Be careful! Visitors have reported significant drops in temperature and attacks by the unseen, which left them with bruises, cuts, and scratches.